SXSW is right around the corner (March 9 – 18) and the music schedule is is now live.
Other than CMJ, this is by far the best music festival in the US. I don’t have the time and/or patience to list the hundreds of bands announced to play, but some of my favorites include: Alabama Shakes, Built to Spill, The Magnetic Fields, Talib Kweli, The Drums, Bear In Heaven, Deerhoof, The War on Drugs, Miniature Tigers, SBTRKT, Best Coast, M. Ward, Youth Lagoon, Tennis, Dan Deacon, Lana Del Rey, The Ting Tings, YACHT, Band of Skulls, White Rabbits, Freelance Whales, and Sharon Van Etten.
You can view the music schedule here and more general festival info here.
Make Music Pasadena was last week (i know, i know…i totally lagged on posting this) and it was super fun!
First and foremost, it was FREE. You can’t really complain about free music. On top of that, the lineup was quite impressive (I would’ve paid to see a lot of the acts that played), it wasn’t nearly as hot as it could’ve been, and the people watching was epic.
My only real complaint was the how they handled the main stage setup and crowd control. The Morning Benders set was basically ruined because it took Pasadena PD, and the laziest event security I’ve ever seen, way too long to clear a sidewalk. If this event continues to grow, the organizers are going to have to brainstorm quite a bit between now and then on how to allow for more peeps.
As far as the actual music goes, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay ’til the end, so I missed out on Ra Ra Riot, Zola Jesus, Kisses, and Robotanists, but the acts I did catch didn’t disappoint.
Saint Motel was my personal favorite of the day. Butch was just as good live (maybe even better) than the recorded version, and their new track, Puzzle Pieces, was fantastic (but i’m a sucker for anything with piano or keyboards). Coming into it, I was most looking forward to NewVillager. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but after a strong start, they started to fizzle out by the end of their set. Either way though, I’m still super excited for their debut album (out Aug 16 via I Am Sound Music).
Best Coast definitely drew the largest crowd of the day (at least what I saw). This was my first time seeing them live and they definitely lived up to the hype. They kicked off their set with one of my favorite tracks (Crazy For You) and even played some new stuff (Gone Again – Free downloadcourtesy of Adult Swim).
All in all, I had a great day and i’m already looking forward to next year.
Saint MotelSaint MotelSaint MotelPasadena PD ruining The Morning Bender's setThe Morning BendersNewVillagerNewVillagerNewVillagerBest CoastBest CoastBest Coast CrowdBest Coast (would've been such a good shot, had it not been for the douche fist-pumping with the water bottle)People WatchingCreepy Guy in Gold Unitard and Russian Hat
p.s. if you want some more free music in Pasadena, be sure to check out Seattle’s Motopony for KCRW’s Summer Nights at One Colorado this Saturday (6/25).
Make Music Pasadena is this Saturday (6/18), and in honor of this fantastic (AND FREE!) event, this week’s mix features all the artists i’m most excited about.
For those of you not familiar with the event, Make Music Pasadena is a FREE musical celebration throughout Pasadena. This Saturday, sidewalks, parks, courtyards, alleys, building lobbies and other unconventional performance spaces will become spontaneous musical stages and social gathering places. This year’s line up includes Best Coast, Ra Ra Riot, Morning Benders, Carla Morrison, Hello Seahorse!, Saint Motel, and much, much more.
The wait is over. The official lineup for Sasquatch! 2011 is here.
The big names are a plenty (Foo Fighters, Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Modest Mouse, Wilco…to name a few), but it’s the slightly-lesser known artists and acts that make this lineup fantastic (Robyn, Beach House, Sleigh Bells, Das Racist, Radio Department, Best Coast, Surfer Blood, The Drums, Matt & Kim, Yeasayer, and more)!
And if the lineup wasn’t good enough news for you, in honor of the festival’s ten year anniversary Sasquatch! 2011 will continue on for a fourth day, running from Friday, May 27th through Monday, May 30th at the Gorge Amphitheatre (in George, WA).
Four day passes will run you $285 (not including parking) and are available for purchase here, while individual day tickets will go on sale Monday, February 14 at 10 am.
